Last week I was at our Holiday & Incentive Expo in Las Vegas and was amazed at how many people were at the Education Day on Tuesday, over 500 people attended the full day of education sessions. Each session I sat in on was jammed, it was great to see people taking the time to invest in their future success.

One of the sessions I sat in on pointed out the 10 most common pitfalls distributors fall into by David Blaise, this was a great session not only did he point out the most common mistakes we make but provided ways to be proactive and not make these mistakes.

Another great session was with Cliff Quicksell, one of the topics was what things we should focus on with our websites – Video is in! He also reviewed a recent study by B2B Magazine about what’s most important to buyers today. But what I found most shocking was at one point Cliff asked how many distributors send a thank-you gift to clients after an order is delivered - less than 5% of the people in the room put up their hand! I sure hope this was because people had been playing the slot machines the night before and their arms were sore!

The Wednesday was a buzz on the show floor aisles were full of people looking for the newest ideas and special offers from the suppliers exhibiting.

We also made an exciting announcement about a new show being added to the 2010 schedule – San Diego, CA. A popular destination featuring beautiful weather and a fun atmosphere, San Diego was voted as a top choice for a trade show by ASI membership. If you’re planning to attend a U.S. Trade Show in 2010 check out San Diego it’s a great location in February particularly for those of us north of the border and features competitive hotel rates.

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Pet trash bag container with Aluminum carabiner. Our Trash Bag Containers are a great way to encourage pet owners to take care of the environment by picking up their pet’s waste during a walk. Comes with 20 poly bags and a handy carabineer to attach to your pet’s collar or leash.

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4 Alarm pill holder, this handy device contains 4 pill compartments & 4 alarms a day to remind you of medication times. With the alarms that can vibrate, beep or both to alert you, and automatically reset each day, medication will never be a hassle again.

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Mobile Apps. Patent-pending technology to brand popular and paid mobile apps and use as promotional items. Stay ahead of the curve with this first-time ever promotional item that’s environmentally friendly, easy-to-order, easy-to-use, tractable, and takes advantage of the global popularity of mobile apps. Currently available for Blackberry(R) apps. Can also be used as a music download card as well. Material: 100% recycled paper card.

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Floating cooler is designed to hold 12 cans with ice. Get everyone’s attention with this. Great for the pool, lake, fishing, boating, float tubes. Anywhere there’s water or fun! It really floats!

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1.25 oz. custom chocolate covered cookie in business card box. Size: 3.25″ x 2.75″. A great price point for these delicious chocolate covered cookies makes them an excellent solution for countless promotional requirements. Choose milk or dark chocolate to mold your custom message or logo. Kosher certified. Our chocolate products have a shelf life of one year if properly stored at room temperature.

PRODUCT #: ASI-2253787
Business card box filled with gold foiled mini truffles. Our confection filled box provides the perfect vehicle to transport your business card. Use it for trade shows, client meetings, thank you’s and more! Kosher certified. Our chocolate products have a shelf life of one year if properly stored at room temperature.

PRODUCT #: ASI-7947281
Table in a Bag. Technical Specs weight, 9 pounds assembled dimensions are 27 square and 16 ” height. Materials, dark stain hardwood. The table is lightweight, durable table that sets up in seconds and includes a carry bag and carry handle for easy use. The table is a lightweight, durable table that set up in seconds.

PRODUCT #: ASI-575824
Folding sports chair with fold out side table, side pockets, and insulated drink holder. Features detachable shoulder strap. Made of aluminum and polyester canvas or nylon Doby.

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Brownies in a box. Make a tasteful impression with new and loyal clients by giving a dozen gourmet brownies. Our number 1 gift choice presents 1 each of all 12 rich chocolate flavors in a classic brown gift box with your company logo printed on the custom band. All Fairytale Brownies are individually wrapped and certified Kosher.

For me one of the hi-lites of the ASI Show has been the education day. For years I have gone a day early so that I can attend the sessions and I always learn something new. Personally I believe it’s a great way to rejuvenate sales efforts – no matter how many sessions I’ve been to I always get new ideas and tips that help me in my day to day business life.

On Wednesday I attended the morning session from Canada’s own Lisa Leitch; the session was “Accelerate your sales with Innovative Advertising Specialty Campaigns”. Lisa is a great speaker and one of the things in her presentation that I was glad to hear was her encouraging attendees to use advertising specialties to promote their own companies. I’ve often questioned why many distributors don’t use the products they’re selling more effectively to demonstrate to clients the value of this medium. read more